People Australia

William Haynes (c.1755-1801?), a cabinet maker, was found guilty on 10 December 1783 at the Old Bailey, London, of stealing one shilling and ninepence farthing in a highway robbery. His death sentence was commuted to 7 years transportation to America. He was among the prisoners who mutinied on the convict transport Mercury in April 1784. Recaptured, he was sent to the Dunkirk hulk in June 1784. He was discharged to the Friendship in March 1787, was transferred to the Supply as an artificer in November, and arrived in Sydney in January 1788 as part of the First Fleet.

Haynes married Hannah Green, who had also been on the Dunkirk hulk and the Friendship, on 10 February 1788 at Sydney Cove.

He may be the William Haines who was granted 25 acres at Concord in March 1795. He was probably the William Haynes, a free man, who was buried on 9 July 1801 at Parramatta.

* information from Mollie Gillen, The Founders of Australia: A Biographical Dictionary of the First Fleet (1989), p 168-69